California lawmakers are calling for more transparency following a 7 On Your Side investigation into California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara's frequent, expensive taxpayer-funded trips. Commissioner Lara has taken at least 46 trips since 2019, with destinations ranging from the UK to Singapore to Dubai. Lawmakers are particularly concerned about the lack of information regarding the business purpose of these trips, which are public record.
California lawmakers and the state's former insurance commissioner are responding to a 7 On Your Side investigation into California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara 's taxpayer-funded travel across the world. Specifically, the investigation focused on the lack of transparency surrounding these trips, which are public record. The Vice Chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, Assm.
Greg Wallis, (R-Riverside) vowed to take legislative action to demand more transparency from the state if the business purpose of the 'mission critical' trips isn't provided. 'If the insurance commissioner's office isn't able to provide answers as to the government purpose of this travel, I think it's absolutely appropriate for us to move forward requesting an audit so we can get answers for the taxpayers. Again this is about transparency -- it's about good government. It's something that Californians absolutely deserve,' Assm. Wallis said.\7 On Your Side reported earlier this week that Commissioner Lara made at least 46 trips across the country and all over the world since 2019, from the U.K. to Singapore to Glasgow, and Dubai. Receipts show at least 11 fully taxpayer-funded 'work-related' excursions to places like Bogota, Paris, and a $14,000 'mission-critical' request to go to Chile. California's insurance boss was absent for nearly all the Senate Insurance hearings since assuming office. 7 On Your Side investigates. As a result, Commissioner Lara missed more than half of the state insurance hearings held since assuming office. Specifically, Lara was absent for 8 of at least 14 state hearings. Most of the absences were with the Senate Insurance Committee, where the Commissioner was not present for 7 of the 9 general informational hearings held since 2019. The Commissioner was reported to be traveling abroad or cross-country during at least four of those hearings. However, after more than a month of questioning, the state has yet to identify the 'business purpose' for nearly all of the taxpayer-funded trips. \'I think there's definitely value to being able to take trips like this -- meet with people, leaders across the globe,' said Assm. Wallis. 'The bigger question here is why we're not able to identify the government purpose of this travel. This should be an easy answer, no brainer.' Assm. Wallis says he routinely goes on trips to meet with stakeholders and counterparts in other states. 'If you were to ask my office the purpose of government travel, we would be able to identify every single benefit that came from these trips. I think that's the biggest concern,' he said. 7 On Your Side looked into a few of the taxpayer-funded trips amounting to more than $20,000 and none of them appeared to list any specified insurance-related meetings on his schedule. This includes Commissioner Lara's week-long stay in Bogota, Colombia and his five-star hotel stay for Pride Fest in New York City, which featured 'DJ Kitty Glitter' on his calendar. Nor his 'mission critical' request for that 'mission critical' trip to Chile for a United Nations climate change conference. 'I think that's something that we should be able to make easily available to the public,' said Assm. Wallis.
California Ricardo Lara Insurance Commissioner Taxpayer-Funded Travel Transparency
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